In 2013, providers wrote enough painkiller prescriptions for every American adult to have their own bottle, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The following year, an estimated 2 million Americans were dependent or abusing the drug, and the number of opioid-related deaths hit an all-time high.

While it’s not always visible to the general public, the drug crisis continues in the Somerset Hills, as in nearly every community throughout the nation. From the suburbs to the cities of America, thousands of young men and women are battling the demons of addiction. Their lives have become a daily hell, and despite a growing recognition of the problem, it doesn’t appear to be improving nearly fast enough.

To help combat New Jersey’s opiate epidemic, more than 2,000 volunteers will be in each of the state’s 21 counties this Thursday to raise awareness about the link between prescription painkillers and heroin abuse rates.

NEWTON -- Volunteers are needed to participate in a "feet on the ground" grass roots effort to educate medical professionals and the public on the dangers of opiate abuse during a statewide initiative on Oct. 6 called "Knock out Opiate Abuse Day."

Rockaway police officers used to cheer years ago when a bag or two of marijuana was seized during an arrest but today the borough's roadsides are littered with syringes and any shift might see officers responding to people overdosing from heroin.

Warren County Freeholders declared Oct. 6 "Knock Out Opiate Abuse Day" in an ongoing effort to combat the problem. The country has seen a sharp increase in heroin and synthetic opioid deaths since 2014, according to Mary Jo Harris with the Family Guidance Center of Warren County.

The Morris County Board of Freeholders named Oct. 6 "Knock Out Opiate Abuse Day" in Morris County. More than 100 people in Morris County have died from opiates this year, and the Freeholders urge residents to take a stand against the drug.